Rogers Man Pleads Not Guilty To Shooting Gun While Driving Drunk

Vicente Garcia-Perez, 35, is charged with unlawfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle in the second degree, a Class B felony.

Garcia-Perez also faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated, according to Benton County Circuit Court documents.

Rogers police were called Nov. 12, 2017, for reports of gunshots near Veterans Park when they saw Garcia-Perez drive by in a red Chevrolet Avalanche, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police watched Garcia-Perez speed through a construction zone before coming to a stop at a house on North C Street.

Police approached Garcia-Perez, who agreed to let them search his vehicle, and officers found a Ruger AR 556 and 55 .223 caliber shell casings scattered throughout the car.

Police said they smelled burned gun power inside the car alongside a strong odor of beer. Both the rifle and shell casings were warm to the touch, according to the affidavit.

A witness later told police he saw Garcia-Perez driving on Monte Ne Road, where he heard five to seven gun shots and turned around to see Garcia-Perez pointing a rifle through his sunroof.

Garcia-Perez, who refused a Breathalyzer, failed three field sobriety tests. He told police he’d only had three beers, but officers found eight empty 12 ounce beer cans inside his car, according to the affidavit.

Garcia-Perez is free on a $25,000 bond. He has a hearing set for Feb. 12 in Benton County Circuit Court.

In Arkansas, Class B felonies are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000, according to state law.